Jay Lake. A Long Walk Home. (The Year’s Best Science Fiction, 29th Annual Collection).
A thoughtful piece that sees one of Lake’s ‘Howards’, genetically and surgically enhanced humans with extreme longevity, finding himself alone on a planet.
Richard A. Lupoff. 12:03p.m. (Fantasy & Science Fiction, September/October 2012)
If you read 12:01 (or saw the tv movie) or 12:02, then you should read 12:03, which begins to explain WTF is happening.
Chet Arthur. The Sheriff. (Fantasy & Science Fiction, September/October 2012)
Nicely realised Western, in which the bad guys at the Lazy Eight Ranch get brought to justice by the new Sheriff in town.
Grania Davis. Father Juniper’s Journey to the North. (Fantasy & Science Fiction, September/October 2012)
Short which follows the titular holy man who heads into California in the 18th century, to bring christianity to the natives.
Andy Duncan. Close Encounters. (Fantasy & Science Fiction, September/October 2012)
A heart-warming take on the finale years of one Buck Nelson, a famous abductee/contactee.
Tom Purdom. Bonding with Morry. (Asimov’s April/May 2012)
Not a whole lot that hasn’t been covered already (a long time ago) by Asimov in his robot stories.
Sandra McDonald. Sexy Robot Mom. (Asimovs, April/May 2012).
Not a light-hearted look at sexbots, as the story initially suggests, as it gets altogether darker and colder…
Robert Reed. Woman Leaves Room. (The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2012)
Excellent short story (read it now!).
K.J. Parker. A Small Price to Pay for Birdsong. (The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2012)
A lengthy story that had me engrossed to the point of almost missing my stop on the train, but a couple of days on, the fantastical elements of the story do not spring to mind.
Richard Butner. Give Up. (Fantasy & Science Fiction, Sept/Oct 2012)
A virtual sim that enables you to try climb Everest – but without being completely virtual…
Gray Rinehart. Sensitive, Compartmented. (Asimovs, April/May 2012)
Clunkily written and I baled out after a few pages. More of an Analog story – not the quality of writing I expect from Asimovs.
Margo Lanagan. The Mulberry Boys. (The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2012)
I’ve a fondness for Lanagan’s stories, as they tend to a darkness and an exploration of the underbelly of fantasy/sf that other’s tend to leave alone. And she doesn’t disappoint here.
Kelly Link. The Summer People. (The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2012)
A cracking little story, whose only drawback for me was the WTF moment when I turned a page to find there was only a half page left.
Gavin J. Grant. Widows in the World. (The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2012)
A Stross-like near(ish) future story that looks a few technological steps ahead, considers some ecological and political developments, and put them into a story that benefits from a slow reading to savour the detail.
Dylan Horrocks. Steam Girl. (The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume 6)
Charming story of a young, solitary nerdy teen whose life is changed when he befriends a flying-helmetted and be-goggled new pupil at his school.
Jonathan Carroll. East of Furious. (The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2012)
Short alchaemic fantasy/horror featuring a divorce lawyer and a client with more than a touch of the Midas.
Aliette de Bodard. Two Sisters in Exile. (Solaris Rising 1.5)
Another excellent installment in the future Xuya sequence.
Ian Creasey. Souvenirs. (Asimovs Science Fiction, April/May 2012)
Nice enough as far as it goes, without really going (boldly or otherwise) anywhere that hasn’t been gone before.
Ian MacLeod. Tumbling Nancy. (Subterranean Press Magazine Summer 2012)
A well-written, blackly and drily humorous horror story with a literary bent both content-wise and stylistically.
Maureen McHugh. After the Apocalypse. (The Year’s Best Science Fiction, 29th Annual Collection).
The world has gone to pot, humanity is on the march, and a mother has to look after herself and her teenage daughter – a believable, but ultimately unlikeable character.
Alastair Reynolds. Ascension Day. (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 29th Annual Collection)
Only a few pages long, but Reynolds pack a lot into it!
Ian McDonald. Digging. (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 29th Annual Collection)
From last year’s YA anthology edited by Strahan, which hopefully noted to the YA readership that not all adult SF is as good as this!